Of Heart Attacks and Holidays
by overtlycovert
Summary: Logic pits against belief as Mulder and Scully face what seemed to be another x-file. Crime scene MSR.


_**DISCLAIMER: **X-Files is not mine. I once thought it was, until I realized that the shady-looking guy who 'sold' me the rights to the show was actually a prominent con-man. *whimpers*_

* * *

Scully looked thoughtfully at the house standing before her before walking over to the doorway.

A police officer, noting her presence, rushed up to her. Scully quickly fished out her badge and flashed it in front of him. "Special Agent Dana Scully. I'm with the FBI," she said, almost mechanically.

The officer nodded and led her inside, where Mulder was having a talk with a man she assumed was a detective. Seeing his partner, Mulder briefly cut off his conversation and walked over to her.

"Glad you could make it," he greeted with a weak smile.

"Tell me why I'm here, instead of sleeping soundly at my apartment again?" she asked bluntly, a tinge of exasperation trailing from her voice. Two hours ago, she was lollygagging in dreamland- that is, until a phone call telling her to get dressed and head on to Los Angeles for a supposed x-File came along.

"Because of this," Mulder replied matter-of-factly, handing her a folder.

She opened it and scanned through its contents, reading them aloud as she did.

"Richard Morris. Age 26. He was, or rather, his body was found a few hours ago…"

Scully paused, took her eyes away from the folder and fixed them onto Mulder, who was already out in the dimly-lit hall. Sighing, she followed him inside what appeared to be the victim's bedroom.

"…on the living room, right in front of the table where his phone was."

She paused again, and saw Mulder running his finger through a stack of magazines.

"He was rolled on to his side, his right hand clutching tightly at his chest."

Mulder stopped half-way, nodded slightly, and pulled one out. It was a comic book, she realized, and not a magazine as she previously thought. She continued reading.

"Signs of cold sweat. The contorted expression on his face indicates that he was in great pain before he died. Also, a strange burn mark was found on his upper arm."

Scully closed the folder and shot a glare at Mulder. He was leafing through the comic book, and seemed to have not been paying attention to a word she had said.

"Meanwhile, I've recently been hired as a part-time mascot at Mc Donald's."

This statement of hers instantly captured his interest.

"What happened to your stint as the spokesperson for the ab-roller?" he asked amusedly, placing the comic book back with a smirk on his face.

Scully rolled her eyes in response. She set the folder on a nearby desk and folded her arms on her chest.

"Mulder, this man died of a heart attack. I can't see why we need to get involved in this."

"Tell me, Scully, how can a part-time fitness instructor, who, I'd like to point out, is a vegan and a non-smoker, die of cardiac arrest?" he asked wryly.

"Well yes, it's true that a healthy lifestyle does help prevent arterial clogging…but that doesn't mean that he's immune to it. There are other reasons for sudden heart failure, like shock, for example."

"Exactly."

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Look at this." Mulder gestured towards the stack of comic books. "It seems that Richie here is a comic enthusiast. A Kitty Pryde fan, to be specific."

"Mulder, where are you going with this?"

"It all adds up, Scully. The strange burn mark, the heart attack…"

He paused, and then pointed his finger at the wall. "…and this black circular residue over here."

Scully raised a questioning eyebrow as Mulder continued to explain his theory.

"I think that somehow, he managed to get his hand from here to the adjacent room."

Scully's incredulous expression intensified. "Let me get this straight. What you're saying is that, just like Kitty Prime-"

"Kitty Pryde," Mulder corrected.

"…he can phase through solid objects?"

"His hand, at least. Most likely, he was so stunned by this that he ended up with a heart attack."

Scully shook her head in disapproval. That's Mulder, all right- eagerly pointing his finger at aliens, werewolves, and other paranormal absurdities when the facts don't seem to match up.

"And I'm thinking things didn't go as planned, resulting in that burn mark on his wrist," he finally concluded.

"It's impossible, Mulder. The human body is composed of billions of atoms…to be able to get each of them to go through the nearly non-existent spaces between the molecules of solid objects…you could spend a lifetime running into walls with no results, save for the bruises," she explained, in an attempt to shed some light of the rational kind in the situation.

However, his view remained unchanged. "What about the burn mark?"

Scully's brows furrowed as she fumbled in her mind for an answer. "I don't know, maybe he scalded himself while taking a hot shower," she reasoned, her firm tone clearly waning.

"Scully, we've been working on the x-files for six years now. Isn't it about time that you became more accepting of the existence of these phenomena that defy the laws of nature as we know them?"

Scully stared at him, her blue orbs burning intensely.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she spoke bluntly, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

She turned to leave the room, but was stopped abruptly after a rather odd remark from Mulder.

"Merry Christmas, Scully."

"It's May, Mulder."

"Yes, it is."

_What is he up to this time?_

Scully tried hard to fight her curiosity- but in the end, it still got the better of her. With a sigh, she turned around and looked at Mulder, who had a disturbingly cheery smile that could give certain purple dinosaurs a run for their money.

She, albeit reluctantly, followed his gaze- and caught sight of a plant dangling innocently above her. It was a mistletoe.

"You're not hinting at anything are you?" she asked, although the answer was quite obvious.

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"It's May," Scully repeated, louder this time.

"Your point?"

"I don't have time for this."

"You know you want to."

"Maybe I do."

Mulder found himself gaping- this surely wasn't in the list of the things he expected to hear.

"But there's a time and place for everything."

"Why do things later when you can do them right now?"

"Mulder…"

By the look of things, it seemed reasoning with him would get her nowhere. Scully decided to put matters into her own hands. She strode towards Mulder, who closed his eyes and parted his lips expectantly. Instead of his lips, however, she chose to plant a kiss on his cheek. His disappointment surfaced instantly.

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

Scully fought hard to keep herself from laughing. Mulder looked liked a kid who's first pet gold fish had died.

"Well, technically speaking, yes, bu-but-"

Mulder wasn't able to his statement. Scully leaned towards him, cupped his face in her hands, and brushed her lips gently upon his. His eyes widened in shock at first; but they instinctively closed as the seconds drew by. His hands found their way on the back of her neck, while hers moved from his face to his head, running them down his dark-hued hair.

But as they say, all good things must come to an end- and their case was no exception to this. The two eventually pulled back to catch their breaths.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Scully greeted him back after regaining her composure.

They stared at each for a moment, looking at each other's eyes with all the love, friendship and respect that they had built all those years.

"Now let's pay that alleged intangible man of yours a visit."

Scully started out of the room. Mulder waited for a few seconds before catching up with her, draping an arm around her shoulders when he did.

"Intangible man? Sounds like something Stan Lee came up with after two cases of beer," he remarked with a playful grin, which grew wider after noting the odd mix of confusion and amusement in Scully's features.

"Make that three."

"Critic."

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_This is my second foray in the fandom. I'm hoping that I pulled their dialogue right. Reviews are appreciated, as always. :)_


End file.
